Method and device for handling elongated articles

ABSTRACT

A method for handling elongated articles wherein the articles are removed from a hopper, combined to form a group of articles, and supplied as a group of articles to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles in the group corresponds to the formation of the articles in the packaging process. The articles are removed from the hopper and are transferred to a pocket of a first intermediate conveyor as part groups with layers of several articles, wherein the number of layers of articles in the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is smaller than the number of layers of articles in the group, and the part groups are transferred from the first intermediate conveyor to a second intermediate conveyor, and several part groups are transferred together as a group from the second intermediate conveyor to a removal conveyor, which supplies the group to a packaging device.

STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority on and the benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2014 113 248.3 having a filing date of 15 Sep. 2014

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for handling elongated articles, in particular substantially cylindrical articles, preferably tampons, wherein the articles are removed from a hopper and are combined to form a group of articles and are supplied as a group of articles to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles in the group corresponds to the formation of the articles in the packaging process, characterized in that the articles are removed from the hopper and in a filling station are transferred to a pocket of a first intermediate conveyor as part groups with several layers of in each case several articles, wherein the number of layers of articles in the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is smaller than the number of layers of articles in the group, and in that the part groups are transferred from the first intermediate conveyor to a second intermediate conveyor, and in that several part groups are transferred together as a group from the second intermediate conveyor to a removal conveyor which supplies the group to a packaging device.

In addition, the invention relates to a corresponding device for handling elongated articles, in particular substantially cylindrical articles, preferably tampons, wherein the articles are removable from a hopper and are combinable to form a group of articles, and wherein the group of articles is suppliable to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles in the group corresponds to the formation of the articles in the packaging process, characterized in that the articles are removable from the hopper and in a filling station are transferrable to a pocket of a first intermediate conveyor as part groups with several layers of in each case several articles, wherein the number of layers of articles in the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is smaller than the number of layers of articles in the group, and in that the part groups are transferrable from the first intermediate conveyor to a second intermediate conveyor, and in that several part groups are transferrable together as a group from the second intermediate conveyor to a removal conveyor which supplies the group to a packaging device.

2. Prior Art

Different variants of these types of methods and devices are known from practice. However, common to all the solutions is a limited performance.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Proceeding from here, the object underlying the invention is to propose a method and a device which comprise a higher performance.

A method for achieving said object is a method for handling elongated articles, in particular substantially cylindrical articles, preferably tampons, wherein the articles are removed from a hopper and are combined to form a group of articles and are supplied as a group of articles to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles in the group corresponds to the formation of the articles in the packaging process, characterized in that the articles are removed from the hopper and in a filling station are transferred to a pocket of a first intermediate conveyor as part groups with several layers of in each case several articles, wherein the number of layers of articles in the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is smaller than the number of layers of articles in the group, and in that the part groups are transferred from the first intermediate conveyor to a second intermediate conveyor, and in that several part groups are transferred together as a group from the second intermediate conveyor to a removal conveyor which supplies the group to a packaging device. It is provided accordingly that the articles are removed from the hopper and in a filling station are transferred to a pocket of a first intermediate conveyor as part groups with several layers of in each case several articles, wherein the number of layers of articles in the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is smaller than the number of layers of articles in the group, and that the part groups are transferred from the first intermediate conveyor to a second intermediate conveyor, and that several part groups are transferred together as a group from the second intermediate conveyor to a removal conveyor, which supplies the group to a packaging device.

Differently than otherwise usual in the prior art, the forming of the group takes place accordingly in a gradual manner. The inventors have recognized that the discharging or feeding of a complete group of articles all at once, which is sometimes usual in the prior art, is absolutely critical as the formation of the articles in the group can be lost, which restricts the performance of known methods.

According to a further development of the invention, it can be provided that the pockets of the first intermediate conveyor comprise in each case several receiving means, which are preferably arranged one above another, for in each case one part group with several layers of in each case several articles, and that a first receiving means is filled first of all with a part group with several layers of in each case several articles and that, after this, the or each further receiving means of the pocket is filled with a corresponding part group such that part groups with several layers of in each case several articles are arranged in each case in all the receiving means of the pocket.

In this case, the combination of the part groups produces precisely the content of the group. An advantage of the further development consequently consists in the division of the group into part groups which are handled separately from one another such that the risk of losing the formation when transferring the part groups is clearly smaller.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is moved in such a manner for filling the receiving means that by means of an immovable slide a first receiving means is filled initially with a part group with several layers of in each case several articles, and that, after this, the pocket is moved in such a manner corresponding to the arrangement of the receiving means of the pocket with respect to one another that the or each further receiving means is filled with a part group.

The pocket can preferably be arranged on a correspondingly movable platform which is moved in a corresponding manner relative to the slider, being movable for example in an upright direction and back and forth.

According to a preferred further development, it can be provided that the part groups, which are located in the receiving means of the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor, are transferred together into receiving means of a pocket of the second intermediate conveyor, wherein a part group is also arranged in each case in the receiving means of the pocket of the second intermediate conveyor, and wherein the part groups are preferably transferred by means of a common slider.

In other words, the pockets of the first and of the second pocket conveyor comprise the same divisions or receiving means such that the formed part groups are maintained when being transferred to the second intermediate conveyor.

A characteristic of the invention relates to measures for transferring the part groups from the second intermediate conveyor to a continuously driven removal conveyor. Accordingly, it is provided that the part groups, which are located in the receiving means of the pocket of the second intermediate conveyor, are transferred during the continuous transport of the removal conveyor to said removal conveyor, wherein the second intermediate conveyor runs together with the removal conveyor such that the part groups which are located in the receiving means of the pocket of the second intermediate conveyor are pushed together into a pocket of the removal conveyor, preferably by means of a slider which is moved together with the second intermediate conveyor and the removal conveyor.

It can be provided preferably that the second intermediate conveyor comprises several pockets which form a pocket group, and that receiving means of each pocket are filled one after another with articles or part groups, and that the contents of all the pockets of the pocket group are transferred together or at the same time to the removal conveyor.

In a preferred variant of the invention, it can be provided that the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is filled in the filling station with articles, and that the articles are transferred to a pocket of the second intermediate conveyor in the filling station, and that the pocket of the second intermediate conveyor is moved into a transfer station at a spacing from the filling station and, proceeding from there, the articles are transferred to the removal conveyor during the continuous transport of the same.

In addition, it can preferably be provided that the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is moved between several positions in the filling station, wherein there are at least two positions provided in which the receiving means of the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is filled with articles and a third position in which the articles that are located in the pocket are transferred to the second intermediate conveyor.

A further characteristic of the invention relates to the supplying of the articles to the hopper. It can be provided correspondingly that the articles are conveyed closely together in the direction of the hopper with their longitudinal extension pointing in the conveying direction and are transferred to a filling carousel which is connected upstream of the hopper, and that the articles are transferred from the filling carousel to a collecting container of the hopper with their longitudinal extension pointing transversely with respect to the conveying direction, and that the articles are supplied to the filling station from the collecting container via individual chutes which are separated from one another by partition walls.

Proceeding from the removal conveyor, the groups can be supplied from the removal conveyor selectively in the direction of a device for packaging the groups into a container or in the direction of a device for packaging the groups into a tubular bag. In this way, the production of different products or different packagings is possible.

A device according to the invention is a device for handling elongated articles, in particular substantially cylindrical articles, preferably tampons, wherein the articles are removable from a hopper and are combinable to form a group of articles, and wherein the group of articles is suppliable to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles in the group corresponds to the formation of the articles in the packaging process, characterized in that the articles are removable from the hopper and in a filling station are transferrable to a pocket of a first intermediate conveyor as part groups with several layers of in each case several articles, wherein the number of layers of articles in the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is smaller than the number of layers of articles in the group, and in that the part groups are transferrable from the first intermediate conveyor to a second intermediate conveyor, and in that several part groups are transferrable together as a group from the second intermediate conveyor to a removal conveyor which supplies the group to a packaging device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further details of the invention and advantageous characteristics can be produced from the sub-claims and from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment by way of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional representation of a device for packaging tampons,

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged, three-dimensional representation of part of the device,

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a filling carousel of the device corresponding to arrow III in FIG. 10,

FIG. 4 shows a section through the filling carousel along the line of intersection IV-IV in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the filling carousel corresponding to arrow V in FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 shows a top view of part of the device according to FIG. 3,

FIGS. 7 to 9 show an enlarged representation of part of the device in the region VII according to FIG. 6 during different stages of the processing of the tampons,

FIG. 10 shows a vertical section through part of the device along the line of intersection X-X in FIG. 6,

FIGS. 11 to 13 show a vertical section through part of the device along the line of intersection XI-XI in FIG. 7 during different stages of the processing of the tampons, and

FIG. 14 shows a vertical section through part of the device along the line of intersection XIV-XIV in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is concerned with the handling of elongated articles 10 which are round in cross section or substantially cylindrical. In a preferred manner, these are tampons that are provided with an outer coating. The procedure is to form groups 11 which are supplied to a further handling process, namely in particular inserted into a packaging container as complete contents of a packaging, from the articles 10 which arrive individually closely packed together.

The packaging plant shown in FIG. 1 consists substantially of the following members:

-   -   Hopper 12 for providing the articles 10,     -   A grouping device 13,     -   A box packer 14,     -   A tubular bag packer 15, and     -   Various conveyors for connecting the individual members         together.

The articles 10 provided in the two hoppers 12 are in each case supplied to a centrifugal conveyor 16 which connects to the hopper 12 and from there in each case are supplied via conveyors 17 to the grouping device 13. In this case, the articles 10 are transferred to the connecting conveyors 17 in such a manner by the centrifugal conveyors 16 that the articles 10 are transported with their longitudinal extension pointing in the conveying direction.

Although in the present exemplary embodiment of the device two hoppers 12 and central conveyors 16 are provided, it is obvious that the device can also operate with only one feed of articles 10 or a larger number of feeds.

In addition, importance is attached to the statement that the device naturally does not have to comprise both a box packer 14 and a tubular bag packer 15. It is conceivable both for only one type of packer to be provided or for the formed groups 11 to be packaged in totally different types of packagings.

The articles 10 which are transported along the conveyor 17 are in each case supplied to a filling carousel 18. The filling carousel 18 connects in each case to the conveyor 17. Prior to reaching the filling carousel 18, the conveyed flow of supplied articles 10 is checked in the region of the conveyor 17 by means of a light barrier 19, for example for any gaps present or for incorrectly aligned articles 10.

In addition, it is possible to separate out individual articles 10 prior to reaching the filling carousel 18. An air nozzle 20, which serves for removing individual articles 10 from the conveyor 17 and disposing of them in a catch container 22 via a chute 21 which is arranged at the side next to the conveyor 17, is provided for this purpose in the region of the conveyor 17.

The filling carousels 17 serve for the purpose of transferring the articles 10 coming from the conveyor 17 to hoppers 23 which connect in each case to the filling carousel 18. To this end, the filling carousels 17 comprise in each case a trough drum 24, with troughs 25 arranged on the circumference of the trough drum 24 for receiving in each case one article 10. During the rotation of the trough drum 24, the articles 10 are transported further in the conveying direction via a guide track 26 which extends along the circumference of the trough drum 24 and are then transferred with their longitudinal extension pointing transversely with respect to the conveying direction to a conveying portion 27 which leads in each case to the hopper 23.

As can be seen in FIG. 10, the hoppers 23 consist of an upper collecting container 28 and a chute part 29 which connects thereto underneath. The articles 10 flow over the conveying portion 27 into the upper collecting container 28 and from there into the individual chutes 30 of the chute part 29 which are separated from one another by partition walls 31. In this case, the articles 10 rest in each case on top of one another and are conveyed downward in the vertical direction by means of gravity. In this case, the partition walls 31 taper downward and finally end at a spacing from a bottom surface of the chute part 29 such that the articles 10 also abut against one another laterally in a bottom region of the chute part 29.

In the region of a bottom surface of the hopper 23, the articles 10 are transferred to an intermediate conveyor 33 by means of a slider 32 which is movable back and forth in a horizontal plane. The intermediate conveyor 33 has a pocket 34 with two receiving means 35, 36 for the articles 10. When the articles 10 are transferred to the intermediate conveyor 33, the receiving means 35, 36 are filled one after another with articles 10.

In the present case, a bottom receiving means 36 is filled with articles 10 first of all (FIG. 11) and then a top receiving means 35 (FIG. 12). To this end, the pocket 34 is moved in relation to the hopper 23 or the slider 32, in the present case in the vertical direction. For this purpose, the pocket 34 is associated with a platform 38 which is movable in a corresponding manner by means of a drive 37.

A characteristic consists in that the receiving means 35, 36 are filled in each case with a part group 39. The part group 39, in this case, consists of at least two layers of articles 10. The part group 39 includes, however, a smaller number of articles 10 than the group 11 and also a smaller number of layers. In a corresponding manner, a group 11 consists of several part groups 39, preferably of a whole number multiple of a part group 39.

In the present case, a group 11 is formed by two part groups 39, each part group 39 comprising two layers of articles 10. The two part groups 39 are combined together such that the group 11 finally comprises four layers of articles 10. The receiving means 35, 36 are arranged one above another in a corresponding manner.

It is obvious that the part groups 39 which are realized in the present case are also able to be realized in a different manner. It is conceivable, for example, to provide differently sized part groups 39. It is naturally also conceivable for more than two part groups 39 to be combined one above another and/or side by side in order to form a group 11.

Once the receiving means 35, 36 have been filled, the platform 38 is moved further downward into a position according to FIG. 13. There both part groups 39 are transferred at the same time to a second intermediate conveyor 41 by means of a slider 40 which is movable back and forth in a horizontal plane. The second intermediate conveyor 41 also has receiving means 42, 43 of a pocket 44 which correspond to those of the first intermediate conveyor 33 and which are positioned in alignment with the receiving means 35, 36 in a horizontal plane for transferring the part groups 39 such that the part groups 39 are able to be pushed away from the receiving means 35, 36 by the slider 40 in a horizontal plane into the receiving means 42, 43.

The second intermediate conveyor 41 is also mounted so as to be movable, but is movable in the horizontal plane in a different manner to the first intermediate conveyor 33. In this way, the receiving means 42, 43 of the second intermediate conveyor 41 are movable out of a filling station 45 in the region of the hopper 28, in which the part groups 39 are supplied to the first intermediate conveyor 33 and the part groups 39 are transferred to the second intermediate conveyor 41, into a transfer station 46. The transfer station 46 is arranged offset laterally to the filling station 45 and serves for transferring the part groups 39 to a pocket 47 of a removal conveyor 48.

A slider 49, for pushing the two part groups 39 away from the second intermediate conveyor 41 onto the removal conveyor 48, is provided in the region of the transfer station 46. The slider 49 is movable back and forth in a horizontal plane for simultaneously pushing the two part groups out of the receiving means 42, 43 of the second intermediate conveyor 41 onto the removal conveyor 48. The removal conveyor 48 runs adjacent and parallel to the second intermediate conveyor 41 such that the pockets 44 and 47 are arranged at the same height running in alignment. The pocket 47 of the removal conveyor 48, however, is sized to receive a complete group 11, that is, in this case, the two part groups 39 which are arranged one above another.

A characteristic consists in that the transfer of the part groups 39 to the removal conveyor 48 is effected during the continuous transport of the same. For this purpose, both the slider 49 and the pocket 44 of the second intermediate conveyor 41 are movable together with the pocket 47 of the removal conveyor 48, that is are realized so as to run together. The transfer is effected, in this case, on the path from the transfer station 46 to the filling station 45.

The removal conveyor 48 can be driven both in the direction of the box packer 14 and in the direction of the tubular bag packer 15 in order to supply the groups 11 in this way either to the one or the other packaging machine.

The device which is described above in essential detail additionally also comprises the following advantageous details:

In the filling station 45, the first intermediate conveyor 33 has a pocket 34 with two receiving means 35, 36 which are filled one after the other. The second intermediate conveyor 41, in contrast, has two adjacent pockets 44 each with two receiving means 42, 43 which are filled one after the other. In a corresponding manner, once the receiving means 42, 43 of the first pocket 44 have been filled, the second intermediate conveyor 41 is moved in order to move the second pocket 44 into the filling station 45 (FIGS. 8 and 9). The two pockets 44 of the second intermediate conveyor 41 are then moved together into the transfer station 46. The contents, namely a group 11 in each case, is pushed out of the two pockets 44 at the same time into two adjacent pockets 47 of the removal conveyor 48.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the removal conveyor 48 is realized as an endless conveyor with separating webs which protrude on the circumference of the conveyor run of the endless conveyor and define the pockets 47 in the longitudinal direction of the endless conveyor. The pockets 47 are open transversely hereto in order to be able to supply the groups 11. The groups 11 can also be removed by being correspondingly pushed in a transversely-directed manner from the endless conveyor. Connecting conveyors 50, 51 which supply the groups to the packaging machines 14, 15 are provided at the respective lateral end of the removal conveyor 48.

The pockets 44 of the second intermediate conveyor 41 are coupled with conveyor belts 52, 53 which take care of the driving of the pockets 44. A pair of conveyor belts 52, 53, in this case, drives in each case a pair of pockets 44. On account of the double-track method of operation of the device, two pairs of conveyor belts 52, 53, which are guided parallel to one another underneath the pockets 44 and are connected to said pockets by means of coupling pieces 54, are correspondingly provided. The coupling pieces 54 are also guided in guide rails 55.

Realized in a similar manner is the drive of the sliders 49, which are realized, on the one hand, running parallel to the second intermediate conveyor 41 and the removal conveyor 48 and, on the other hand, are simultaneously movable transversely with respect hereto in order to push the intermediate groups 39 onto the removal conveyor 48. To this end, the slides 49 are mounted on guide rails 56, 57 which extend in a longitudinal and transverse manner and are drivable by means of a conveyor belt 59 which is guided about guide rollers 58. In addition, immovable stoppers 59 are provided against which individual guide rollers 58 abut in order to stop the movement of the sliders 49.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

-   10 Article -   11 Group -   12 Hopper -   13 Grouping device -   14 Box packer -   15 Tubular bag packer -   16 Centrifugal conveyor -   17 Conveyor -   18 Filling carousel -   19 Light barrier -   20 Air nozzle -   21 Chute -   22 Catch container -   23 Hopper -   24 Trough drum -   25 Trough -   26 Guide track -   27 Conveyor portion -   28 Collecting container -   29 Chute part -   30 Chute -   31 Partition wall -   32 Slider -   33 Intermediate conveyor (first) -   34 Pocket -   35 Receiving means -   36 Receiving means -   37 Drive -   38 Platform -   39 Part group -   40 Slider -   41 Intermediate conveyor (second) -   42 Receiving means -   43 Receiving means -   44 Pocket -   45 Filling station -   46 Transfer station -   47 Pocket -   48 Removal conveyor -   49 Slider -   50 Connecting conveyor -   51 Connecting conveyor -   52 Conveyed items -   53 Conveyed items -   54 Coupling piece -   55 Guide rail -   56 Guide rail -   57 Guide rail -   58 Guide roller -   59 Conveyor belt -   60 Stopper 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for handling elongated articles (10), in particular substantially cylindrical articles (10), preferably tampons, wherein the articles (10) are removed from a hopper (23) and are combined to form a group (11) of articles (10) and are supplied as a group (11) of articles (10) to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles (10) in the group (11) corresponds to the formation of the articles in the packaging process, wherein: the articles (10) are removed from the hopper (23) and in a filling station (45) are transferred to a pocket (34) of a first intermediate conveyor (33) as part groups (39) with several layers of in each case several articles (10); the number of layers of articles (10) in the pocket (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33) is smaller than the number of layers of articles (10) in the group (11); the part groups (39) are transferred from the first intermediate conveyor (33) to a second intermediate conveyor (41); and several part groups (39) are transferred together as a group (11) from the second intermediate conveyor to a removal conveyor (48) which supplies the group (11) to a packaging device (14, 15).
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the pockets (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33) comprise in each case several receiving means (35, 36), which are preferably arranged one above another, for in each case one part group (39) with several layers of in each case several articles (10); first of all a first receiving means (35) is filled with a part group with several layers of in each case several articles (10); and after this, the or each further receiving means (36) of the pocket (34) is filled with a corresponding part group (39) such that part groups (39) with several layers of in each case several articles (10) are arranged in each case in all the receiving means (35, 36) of the pocket (34).
 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: the pocket (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33) is moved in such a manner for filling the receiving means (35, 36) that by means of an immovable slide (32) first of all a first receiving means (35) is filled with a part group (39) with several layers of in each case several articles (10); and after this, the pocket (34) is moved in such a manner corresponding to the arrangement of the receiving means (35, 36) of the pocket (34) with respect to one another that the or each further receiving means (36) is filled with a part group (39).
 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the part groups (39), which are located in the receiving means (35, 36) of the pocket (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33), are transferred together into receiving means (42, 43) of a pocket (44) of the second intermediate conveyor (41), wherein a part group (39) is also arranged in each case in the receiving means (42, 43) of the pocket (44) of the second intermediate conveyor (41), and wherein the part groups (39) are preferably transferred by means of a common slider (40).
 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the part groups (39), which are located in the receiving means (42, 43) of the pocket (44) of the second intermediate conveyor (41), are transferred during the continuous transport of the removal conveyor (48) to said removal conveyor, wherein the second intermediate conveyor (41) runs with the removal conveyor (48) such that the part groups (39) which are located in the receiving means (42, 43) of the pocket (44) of the second intermediate conveyor (41) are pushed together into a pocket (47) of the removal conveyor (48), preferably by means of a slider (49) which is moved together with the second intermediate conveyor (41) and the removal conveyor (48).
 6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: the second intermediate conveyor (41) comprises several pockets (44) which form a pocket group; and the receiving means (42, 43) of each pocket (44) are filled one after another with part groups (39), and in that the contents of all the pockets (44) of the pocket group are transferred together to the removal conveyor (48).
 7. The method according to claim 4, wherein: the pocket (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33) is filled in the filling station (45) with articles (10) or part groups (39); the articles (10) or part groups (39) are transferred to a pocket (44) of the second intermediate conveyor (41) in the filling station (45); the pocket (44) of the second intermediate conveyor (41) is moved into a transfer station (46) at a spacing from the filling station (45); and proceeding from there, the articles (10) or part groups (39) are transferred to the removal conveyor (48) during the continuous transport of the same.
 8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the pocket (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33) is moved between several positions in the filling station (45), wherein there are at least two positions provided in which the receiving means (35, 36) of the pocket (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33) is filled with articles (10) or part groups (39) and a third position in which the articles (10) or part groups (39) that are located in the pocket (34) are transferred to the second intermediate conveyor (41).
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the articles (10) are conveyed in the direction of the hopper (23) and with their longitudinal extension pointing in the conveying direction and are transferred to a filling carousel (18) which is connected upstream of the hopper (23); the articles (10) are transferred from the filling carousel (18) to a collecting container (28) of the hopper (23) with their longitudinal extension pointing transversely with respect to the conveying direction; and the articles (10) are supplied to the filling station (45) from the collecting container (28) via individual chutes (30) which are separated from one another by partition walls (31).
 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the groups (11) are supplied from the removal conveyor (48) selectively in the direction of a device for packaging the groups (11) into a container or in the direction of a device for packaging the groups (11) into a tubular bag.
 11. A device for handling elongated articles (10), in particular substantially cylindrical articles (10), preferably tampons, wherein the articles (10) are removable from a hopper (23) and are combinable to form a group (11) of articles (10), and wherein the group (11) of articles (10) is suppliable to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles (10) in the group (11) corresponds to the formation of the articles (10) in the packaging process, comprising: the articles (10) are removable from the hopper (23) and in a filling station (45) are transferrable to a pocket (34) of a first intermediate conveyor (33) as part groups (39) with several layers of in each case several articles (10), wherein the number of layers of articles (10) in the pocket (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33) is smaller than the number of layers of articles (10) in the group (11); the part groups (39) are transferrable from the first intermediate conveyor (33) to a second intermediate conveyor (41); and several part groups (39) are transferrable together as a group (11) from the second intermediate conveyor (41) to a removal conveyor (48) which supplies the group (11) to a packaging device.
 12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the pocket (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33) is arranged in the filling station (45) on a platform (38) which is movable up and down and is movable between several positions, wherein there are at least two positions provided in which the receiving means (35, 36) of the pocket (34) of the first intermediate conveyor (33) is filled with articles (10) and a third position in which the articles (10) that are located in the pocket (34) are transferred to the second intermediate conveyor (41).
 13. The device according to claim 12, wherein: a pocket (44) of the second intermediate conveyor (41) is movable transversely with respect to the filling station (45) in order to move the pocket (44) of the second intermediate conveyor (41) from the filling station (45) into a transfer station (46); and the pocket (44) of the second intermediate conveyor (41) is movable parallel to the continuously driven removal conveyor (48) and the articles (10) or part groups (39) are transferrable from the second intermediate conveyor (41) onto the removal conveyor (48) by means of a slider (49) which circulates at the same time.
 14. The device according to claim 11, wherein: the articles (10) are conveyable individually in the direction of the hopper (23) and with their longitudinal extension pointing in the conveying direction and are transferrable to a filling carousel (18) which is connected upstream of the hopper (23); the articles (10), with their longitudinal extension pointing transversely with respect to the conveying direction, are transferrable from the filling carousel (18) to a collecting container (28) of the hopper (23); and the articles (10) are suppliable to the filling station (45) from the collecting container (28) by means of individual chutes (30) which are separated from one another by partition walls (31). 